John Drake, pictured here holding a boy in the Philippines, will be the keynote speaker at the MLK Diversity Breakfast Jan. 18.Courtesy Photo

JACKSON, MI – John Drake, a retired CMS Energy executive who made it his mission to help orphans overseas, will be the keynote speaker at the annual MLK Diversity Breakfast in January.

The annual event, which honors civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Jan. 18 at the Gene Davis and Sons Banquet and Convention Center, 3575 Francis St.

Drake is the president and CEO of the Lingap Center, an orphanage that he built for about 100 underprivileged children in the Philippines several years ago and was started with donations and support from Jackson residents.

Proceeds from the breakfast will help Jackson County students participate in Challenge Day, a program where students learn how to help stop bullying and alienation in their schools. On Nov. 5-8, 500 area middle-school students will participate in the program.

Tickets for the MLK Diversity Breakfast are $20 per person. For more information, call the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 782-8221.